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AMENDMENTS  TO 


CHARTER 


OF  THE 

CITY  OF  NEW  HAVEN 

PASSED  BY  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY 


1915 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


httpS://arChiVe.Org/detailS/CharterOrdinanCe00neWh_0 


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AN  ACT  AMENDING  THE  CHARTER  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened  : 

The  board  of  aldermen  of  the  city  of  New  Haven  may  provide  by 
ordinance  for  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  ornamental  projections, 
canopies,  permanent  awnings,  marquees,  and  signs  extending  from  the 
front  of  buildings,  whether  erected  prior  to  or  after  the  approval  of  this 
act,  beyond  any  established  building  or  street  line.  Such  ordinance  may 
provide  for  payment  of  license  fees  for  the  exercise  of  such  privilege, 
and  all  such  permits  shall  be  revocable  by  said  board  of  aldermen. 

Approved  April  30,  1915. 

AN  ACT  AMENDING  THE  CHARTER  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened : 

Any  person  who  shall  be  aggrieved  by  any  assessment  of  benefits  or 
damages  made  in  establishing  a building  line  by  the  special  commission  on 
building  lines  of  the  city  of  New  Haven,  may,  within  thirty  days  after 
recording  a description  of  the  location  of  such  building  line  in  the  records 
of  the  city  by  the  city  clerk,  make  written  application  for  relief  to  the 
superior  court  in  the  manner  provided  in  section  eighty-five  of  the  charter 
of  the  city  of  New  Haven  as  amended  by  an  act  approved  June  6,  1913. 

Approved  April  30,  1915. 


AN  ACT  AMENDING  THE  CHARTER  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened : 

Section  one  hundred. and  thirty-two  of  an  act  revising  the  charter  of 
the  city  of  New  Haven,  approved  June  20,  1899,  is  hereby  amended  to 
read  as  follows : The  City  of  New  Haven  shall  be  a highway  district 
and  the  board  of  aldermen  shall  have  sole  authority"  over  all  streets  and 
highways  therein,  including  sole  authority  to  lay  out,  make,  or  order  new 
highways  and  streets  and  to  discontinue  the  same.  No  person  shall  open, 
within  the  limits  of  said  city,  any  public  or  private  way,  except  under  the 


4 


provisions  of  an  order  of  said  board  of  aldermen.  Said  board  of  aider- 
men  is  hereby  authorized  to  order,  lay  out,  construct,  repair,  and  alter 
public  squares,  parks,  streets,  highways,  sewers,  gutters,  drains,  bridges, 
and  walks,  except  as  herein  otherwise  provided,  when  and  where,  in  the 
opinion  of  said  board,  the  public  good  shall  so  require,  and  to  order  the 
paving,  macadamizing,  or  other  improvement  of  any  street,  alley,  or  high- 
way within  said  city.  Said  board  is  also  authorized  to  construct  and  main- 
tain wharves  and  docks ; provided  no  wharf  or  dock  shall  be  extended  be- 
yond the  harbor  line ; and  if  in  the  construction  of  any  such  wharf  or  dock, 
it  is  necessary  to  take  any  right  or  property  of  an  individual,  and  it  cannot 
agree  with  such  individual  upon  the  price  to  be  paid  for  the  same,  said 
board  may  exercise  all  the  powers  of  eminent  domain.  The  department 
of  public  works  shall  execute  all  orders  of  the  board  of  aldermen  with 
reference  to  the  matters  referred  to  in  this  section.  The  board  of  aider- 
men  may,  upon  the  execution  of  any  order  for  the  paving,  macadamizing, 
or  other  improvement  of  any  street  or  highway  within  said  city,  or  upon 
the  construction  or  alteration  of  any  public  sewer  or  other  public  work, 
assess  upon  the  persons  whose  property  is  in  the  judgment  of  said  board 
especially  benefited  thereby,  after  reference  to  the  board  of  compensation, 
and  report  thereon,  as  hereinbefore  provided,  a proportional  and  reasonable 
part  thereof,  and  shall  estimate  the  amount  of  such  expense  to  be  paid 
by  every  such  person  upon  such  assessment.  In  estimating  such  reasonable 
part  of  the  expense  of  any  sewer,  the  cost  of  constructing  any  main  or 
trunk  sewer,  into  and  through  which  such  other  sewer  is  discharged,  may 
be  taken  into  consideration.  Said  city  shall  have  authority,  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  board  of  aldermen  and  upon  such  terms  as  said  board  shall 
deem  proper,  to  allow  the  Westville  School  District  in  said  city  to  connect 
any  sewer  constructed  by  said  district  with  any  sewer  constructed  by 
said  city. 

Approved  May  4,  1915. 

AN  ACT  AMENDING  AN  ACT  TO  PROVIDE  FUNDS  FOR  THE 
MAINTENANCE  OF  PUBLIC  PARKS  IN  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened. 

Section  three  of  an  act  to  provide  funds  for  the  maintenance  of 
public  parks  in  the  city  of  New  Haven,  approved  April  16,  1901,  as 
amended  by  section  two  of  an  act  amending  an  act  to  provide  funds  for 
the  maintenance  of  public  parks  in  the  city  of  New  Haven,  approved  June 
29,  1909,  is  hereby  repealed. 


Approved  May  4,  1915. 


5 


AN  ACT  AMENDING  THE  CHARTER  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened : 

Section  1.  Section  two  of  an  act  conferring  upon  the  freemen  of 
New  Haven  the  right  to  amend  the  charter  of  New  Haven,  approved 
May  8,  1913,  is  hereby  amended  to  read  as  follows:  The  powers  of 
amendment  under  this  act  shall  be  as  follows:  To  provide  the  man- 

ner in  which  candidates  for  the  office  of  mayor  or  for  any  other 
office  required  by  law  to  be  filled  by  popular  election,  may  be  nominated 
for  their  respective  offices,  and  that  no  person  unless  nominated  in  accor- 
dance with  such  provisions  shall  be  eligible  to  such  office ; to  provide 
whether  the  mayor  or  any  other  officer  required  to  be  elected  by  popular 
vote,  shall  be  elected  by  plurality  of  votes  cast,  by  cumulative  voting, 
or  in  the  case  of  boards  constituted  of  more  than  one  member,  by  min- 
ority representation ; to  provide  how  the  board  of  aldermen  shall  be  con- 
stituted, the  number  of  its  members,  their  qualifications,  tenure  and 
terms  of  office,  and  for  the  election  of  any  part  or  all  of  them  at  large 
or  by  wards,  and  the  amount  of  their  salaries  or  compensation,  if  any; 
to  provide  that  any  .officer  of  said  city,  now  elected  by  popular  vote, 
shall  be  chosen  by  appointment,  excepting  that  the  mayor,  members  of  the 
board  of  aldermen,  town  clerk,  members  of  the  board  of  selectmen, 
registrars  of  voters,  and  justices  of  the  peace  shall  continue  to  be 
elected  by  popular  vote ; to  provide  how,  by  whom,  when,  and  in  what 
manner  any  of  the  officers,  boards,  directors,  commissioners,  and  em- 
ployees of  said  city  who  are  or  may  be  subject  to  appointment  and  not 
to  popular  election,  may  be  appointed,  their  qualifications,  the  terms  and 
conditions  of  the  tenure  of  each ; to  provide  for  the  payment  of  salaries 
or  compensation  of  any  officers  of  said  city  who  are  subject  to  appoint- 
ment, and  the  amount  of  such  salaries  or  compensation  or  to  provide 
by  whom  such  salaries  or  compensation  shall  be  determined  and  regulated  ; 
to  provide  that  the  powers  and  duties  given  to  or  imposed  upon  any  of 
the  officers,  commisioners,  boards,  agents,  or  employees  of  said  city  shall 
be  exercised  and  performed  by  any  other  officer,  board,  agent,  or  employee, 
including  the  power  of  appointing  and  employing  other  officers,  agents, 
and  employees,  excepting  that  the  powers  and  duties,  other  than  the  power 
of  appointment  and  as  herein  otherwise  authorized,  of  the  mayor  or 
board  of  aldermen,  shall  not  be  curtailed  under  the  procedure  authorized 
by  this  act,  nor  shall  the  powers  and  duties  of  the  town  clerk,  board  of 
selectmen,  registrars  of  voters,  or  justices  of  the  peace,  be  in  any  respect 
curtailed ; to  provide  for  the  abolition  of  any  office,  the  powers  and  duties 
of  which  shall  be  transferred  to  another  officer,  board,  or  agent,  and  to 
provide  for  any  new  department,  bureau,  or  officer  as  may  seem  best  for 
the  exercise  of  the  powers  and  to  perform  the  duties  given  to  or  imposed 


6 


upon  said  city;  to  provide  that  the  mayor  shall  act  and  vote  as  a member 
of  the  board  of  aldermen ; that  any  or  all  of  the  powers  and  duties  which 
might  be  exercised  and  performed  by  appointive  officers,  boards,  or  agents 
may  be  exercised  and  performed  by  the  board  of  aldermen  in  such  man- 
ner as  it  may  determine  either  directly  or  through  such  agents  as  it  may 
select  or  for  whose  selection  it  may  provide ; to  provide  for  a general 
revision  of  the  charter  which  may  include  any  of  the  amendments  herein 
authorized;  to  provide  for  pensions  and  pension  funds  for  any  class  of 
employees  of  said  city,  and  to  apportion  to  any  pension  fund  or  to  the 
general  city  income  any  license  moneys  payable  to  the  city  or  to  any 
pension  fund. 

Sec.  2.  The  city  engineer  of  the  city  of  New  Haven,  may,  upon  the 
request  of  the  board  of  education  of  the  Westville  school  district  and 
upon  payment  to  said  city  of  New  Haven  of  such  compensation  as  may 
be  agreed  upon  by  said  city  and  said  school  district,  make  maps,  profiles, 
surveys,  and  layouts  of  the  sewer  in  said  district,  and  may  superintend 
the  construction  thereof  under  the  direction  of  said  Westville  school 
district. 

Approved  May  17,  1915. 

AN  ACT  AMENDING  THE  CHARTER  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN  CONCERNING  THE  ABATEMENT  OF  TAXES. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened : 

Section  1.  There  shall  be  in  the  city  of  New  Haven  a committee 
which  shall  be  known  as  the  tax  committee. 

Sec.  2.  Said  committee  shall  consist  of  the  following  members : 
The  mayor,  ex  officio,  the  controller,  ex  officio,  the  assistant  corporation 
council,  ex  officio,  one  member  of  the  board  of  aldermen  to  be  elected 
by  said  board  of  aldermen  in  the  month  of  January,  1916,  and  in  January 
of  each  second  year  thereafter,  and  three  citizens  to  be  appointed  by 
the  mayor  in  the  month  of  January,  1916,  and  in  January  of  each  second 
year  thereafter.  The  term  of  said  committee,  shall  be  for  the  period  of 
two  years,  beginning  the  first  week  day  of  January  in  which  such  election 
and  appointments  are  made.  Any  vacancy  which  may  occur  in  said 
committee  shall  be  filled  for  the  unexpired  term  in  the  same  manner  as 
that  in  which  the  previous  incumbent  was  selected.  Neither  the  clerk  nor 
any  member  of  said  committee  shall  receive  any  pay  for  his  services. 

Sec.  3.  Said  committee  is  hereby  authorized  to  direct  the  settlement 
compromise,  adjustment,  correction,  or  abatement  of  any  claim  for  taxes 
or  assessments,  including  interest  and  cost  of  liens,  which  at  any  time 


7 


appears  on  the  books  of  the  tax  collector  to  be  due  to  the  city  and  is 
in  arrears  for  more  than  three  years.  No  deduction  or  abatement  made 
or  directed  to  be  made  by  said  committee  shall  have  any  effect  unless 
signed  by  at  least  five  members  of  said  committee,  and  no  deduction  or- 
abatment  shall  be  made  by  said  committee  on  the  ground  that  the  prop- 
erty on  which  said  tax  was  laid  was  assessed  on  a valuation  too  high. 

Sec.  4.  Said  tax  collector  shall  settle,  compromise,  adjust,  correct, 
or  abate  such  claims  in  accordance  with  the  direction  of  said  committee, 
and  the  controller  shall  adjust  his  accounts  in  accordance  with  such 
direction. 

Sec.  5.  The  city  clerk  shall  be,  ex  officio,  the  clerk  of  said  committee. 
He  shall  keep,  in  a book  for  that  purpose,  a complete  and  systematic 
record  of  all  deductions  and  abatements  made  by  said  committee,  and 
shall  transmit  promptly  to  said  tax  collector  a copy  of  the  same. 

Sec.  6.  The  term  of  the  tax  committee  now  existing  in  said  New 
Haven,  by  virtue  of  an  act  amending  the  charter  of  the  city  of  New 
Haven  concerning  the  abatement  of  taxes,  approved  April  30,  1913,  is 
hereby  extended  to  the  thirty-first  day  of  December,  1915,  with  the  same 
powers  and  duties  as  were  conferred  upon  said  committee  by  said  act. 

Sec.  7.  Nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  construed  to  limit  the 
power  of  the  mayor  and  board  of  aldermen  to  abate  taxes  of  persons 
who  are  poor  and  unable  to  pay  the  same. 

Sec.  8.  Section  forty-five  of  an  act  revising  the  charter  of  the  city 
of  New  Haven,  approved  June  20,  1899,  is  hereby  amended  to  read  as 
follows:  The  board  of  finance  may  provide  at  any  time  for  the  discount- 

ing, at  current  rates  of  interest,  of  all  sums  assessed  for  taxes,  and  of 
all  sums  assessed  for  benefits  on  account  of  the  construction  of  pavements, 
but  not  yet  payable.  Said  board  shall  have  power,  in  the  name  of  the 
city,  to  borrow  such  sums  from  time  to  time,  as  in  its  opinion  may  be 
needed  for  city  purposes,  in  anticipation  of  such  taxes  as  shall  have 
been  previously  laid,  and  in  anticipation  of  the  collection  of  such  assess- 
ments as  shall  have  been  previously  laid  on  account  of  the  construction 
of  pavements,  and  in  anticipation  of  the  sale  of  bonds  which  may  have 
been  ordered  by  the  board  of  aldermen  in  accordance  with  law,  and  for 
no  other  purpose ; and  the  amount  so  borrowed  shall  be  used  only  for  the 
same  purposes  that  the  taxes,  assessments,  or  avails  of  bonds  might  have 
been  used  for,  and  shall  be  repaid  from  said  taxes  or  assessments  when 
collected,  or  from  the  sale  of  such  bonds.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said 
board  to  make  rules  regulating  the  method  of  payment  of  all  officers 
and  employees  of  said  city  and  prescribing  the  forms  of  the  receipts  tq 
be  required. 

Approved  May  17,  1915. 


8 


AN  ACT  AMENDING  THE  CHARTER  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  HAVEN. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly  convened : 

Section  1.  Section  fifty-two  of  the  charter  of  the  city  of  New  Haven, 
approved  June  20,  1899,  is  hereby  amended  to  read  as  follows:  The 

town  clerk  shall  select  and  provide  for  use  in  each  ward  and  voting 
district  of  said  city  and  town,  a suitable  place  for  holding  elections,  and 
shall  at  least  ten  days  before  holding  any  election,  furnish  the  mayor  a 
list  of  voting  places  so  selected  by  him,  provided  no  place  where  in- 
toxicating liquors  are  licensed  to  be  sold  shall  be  selected. 

Sec.  2.  The  town  clerk  shall  decide  how  many  voting  machines  shall 
be  used  in  each  polling  place  and  said  town  clerk  shall  appoint  all  demon- 
strators of  voting  machines  and  shall  distribute  all  machines  which  are 
ready  for  operation  by  the  voters  and  all  dummy  machines  to  be  used 
at  such  elections,  and  he  shall  appoint  machinists  as  provided  by  law. 
Nothing  herein  contained  shall  give  the  town  clerk  of  the  city  of  New 
Haven  control  over  elections  held  in  the  borough  of  Fair  Haven,  east, 
or  in  the  Westville  school  district,  nor  shall  the  expense  of  elections  in 
said  borough  or  school  district  be  paid  by  the  city  of  New  Haven. 

Sec.  3.  An  act  amending  the  charter  of  the  city  of  New  Haven, 
approved  April  22,  1913,  is  hereby  repealed. 


Approved  May  20,  1915. 


